USA TODAY Sports
METAIRIE, La. – You might wonder what in the world Sean Payton was thinking last weekend when, already trailing 14-0 in the first quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles, he essentially bet the house by calling for a fake punt on fourth-and-1 from his own 30-yard line.
Or what the fiery New Orleans Saints coach was trying to ignite last week in ramping up for the playoff opener by wheeling into the locker room a replica of the Vince Lombardi Trophy and more than $200,000 in cash – in single bills.
Or why Payton, a former quarterback whose journey as a player took him to the Arena Football League, the Canadian Football League and crossing an NFL picket line as a scab back in the day, carries a game-day edge that often makes it seem like he’s still playing – to the point that apparent trash-talk from the sideline fueled some kind of postgame heat in early November from Los Angeles Rams cornerback Marcus Peters.